Cashew Nut Positioning during Stone Tool Use by Wild Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus)

Falótico, Tiago; Luncz, Lydia V.; Svensson, Magdalena S.; Haslam, Michael

doi:10.1159/000459621

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Maternal efficiency might be directly related to each individual's nut‐cracking technique (e.g., individual differences in dexterity) and be transmitted to their offspring. Recent studies showed that nut placement preferences can affect nut‐cracking performance in capuchins ( Sapajus libidinosus ; Falótico, Luncz, Svensson, & Haslam, ) and also that fine differences in movement can be transmitted from mothers to offspring (Fuhrmann, Ravignani, Marshall‐Pescini, & Whiten, ). In this study we did not directly investigate which factors (environmental or behavioral) contributed to interindividual differences in nut‐cracking efficiency, however, our results suggested that these differences influenced offspring's performance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal influence on the development of nut‐cracking skills in the chimpanzees of the Taï forest, Côte d'Ivoire (Pan troglodytes verus)

Estienne

Cohen

Wittig

et al. 2019

American J Primatol

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Chimpanzees' (Pan troglodytes) nut-cracking behavior represents one of the most complex forms of tool-use known among nonhuman animals. Given the close phylogenetic relationship between these apes and humans, investigating how such complex behavior develops in immatures can reveal the evolutionary roots of the cognitive processes that enabled the evolution of outstanding technological skills in our lineage. In this study, we investigated whether maternal behavior directly enhanced nut-cracking skills in immature individuals. We analyzed the behavior of 11 immatures and their mothers (N = 8) during nut-cracking activity, spanning over three consecutive nut-cracking seasons in the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. We used generalized linear mixed models to (a) obtain values of maternal scaffolding (defined as provision of learning opportunities) and active nut-sharing behavior of each mother according to the age of their offspring, and their average nut-cracking efficiency; (b) to test whether these variables enhanced immatures' nut-cracking skills; and (c) to test whether immatures' features (age, sex, and begging behavior) influenced maternal behavior as observed in our videos. Although the predicted values of maternal scaffolding and active nut-sharing did not obviously affect immatures' skills, they were positively influenced by the average maternal efficiency and by sharing hammers with their mothers. In addition, our observations showed that mothers were more likely to share nuts with their sons than with their daughters, and the more their offspring begged. Concurrently, male immatures were also found to beg more often than females. Our results add evidence on the ontogenetic pathway leading to the full acquisition of nut-cracking in wild chimpanzees and on the effect that maternal behavior can have in promoting the acquisition of this complex tool-use behavior. Moreover, our study strengthens the importance of naturalistic observations to understand complex skill acquisition. Finally, we suggest future avenues for investigating the maternal influence on learning.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal influence on the development of nut‐cracking skills in the chimpanzees of the Taï forest, Côte d'Ivoire (Pan troglodytes verus)

Estienne

Cohen

Wittig

et al. 2019

American J Primatol

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“…By investigating optional tool use by individual bearded capuchins at FBV to obtain the kernel of dry cashew nuts, we gathered insight into why capuchins in SCNP always crack cashew nuts with stones (Falótico et al, 2016) while in FBV, tool use is rare (Visalberghi et al, 2016). Our experimental findings demonstrate that when a stone is available, tool use is indeed the option that most monkeys prefer over biting to crack dry cashew nuts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optional tool use: The case of wild bearded capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) cracking cashew nuts by biting or by using percussors

Visalberghi

Barca

Izar

et al. 2020

American J Primatol

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Tool use in humans can be optional, that is, the same person can use different tools or no tool to achieve a given goal. Strategies to reach the same goal may differ across individuals and cultures and at the intra‐individual level. This is the first experimental study at the intra‐individual level on the optional use of a tool in wild nonhuman primates. We investigated optional tool use by wild bearded capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) of Fazenda Boa Vista (FBV; Piauí, Brazil). These monkeys habitually succeed in cracking open the mesocarp of dry cashew nuts (Anacardium spp.) by pounding them with stones and/or by biting. We assessed whether availability of a stone and resistance of the nut affected capuchins' choice to pound or to bite the nuts and their rates of success. Sixteen capuchins (1–16 years) received small and large dry cashew nuts by an anvil together with a stone (Stone condition) or without a stone (No‐Stone condition). In the Stone conditions, subjects used it to crack the nut in 89.1% (large nuts) and 90.1% (small nut) of the trials. Nut size significantly affected the number of strikes used to open it. Availability of the stone significantly increased the average percent of success. In the No‐Stone conditions, monkeys searched for and used other percussors to crack the nuts in 54% of trials. In all conditions, age affects percentage of success and number of strikes to reach success. We argue that exclusive use of stones in other sites may be due to the higher abundance of stones at these sites compared with FBV. Since capuchins opened cashews with a tool 1–2 years earlier than they succeed at cracking more resistant palm nuts, we suggest that success at opening cashew nuts with percussors may support the monkeys' persistent efforts to crack palm nuts.

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“…This research was conducted with two populations of bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus), a wild group from Serra da Capivara National Park (SCNP), in Piauí, and a semiwild group in the Park Ecológico do Tietê (PET), São Paulo, both which are in Brazil. Both populations are habituated to observational and experimental studies 27,[67][68][69][70] .…”

Section: Study Animals and Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social cues on stone tools outweigh raw material properties in wild primates

Henke-von der Malsburg,

Reeves,

Proffitt

et al. 2024

Preprint

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1.AbstractThe ability to select appropriate tool material enabled early hominins access to new resources and environments. The underlying mechanisms driving tool selection effectively remain unknown. Observations of extant primates have demonstrated strong selectivity for specific tools, offering analogous insight into technological decision-making. However, whether tool selection is determined by individual experience alone or social information plays a role remained difficult to disentangle. Here, we used an experimental approach to investigate decision-making factors for tool selection in non-human primates. We provided naturalistic nut-cracking opportunities to wild capuchin monkeys, one of the most prolific extant tool users. We offered standardized stones varying in asocial (material properties) and social cues (evidence of previous use) to two populations, differing in their previous experience of natural materials. Our results show that both populations persistently selected tools based on their material properties when only asocial cues were provided. However, when provided with both asocial and social cues combined, they consistently selected previously used material regardless of material properties. These findings suggest that wild capuchin monkeys discriminate between raw material properties; however, prioritize social cues when present. Tool selection behaviors are therefore shaped by indirect social processes and highlight the importance of culturally transmitted information for skill acquisition in technological primates.

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Cashew Nut Positioning during Stone Tool Use by Wild Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus)

Cited by 12 publications

References 19 publications

Maternal influence on the development of nut‐cracking skills in the chimpanzees of the Taï forest, Côte d'Ivoire (Pan troglodytes verus)

Maternal influence on the development of nut‐cracking skills in the chimpanzees of the Taï forest, Côte d'Ivoire (Pan troglodytes verus)

Optional tool use: The case of wild bearded capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) cracking cashew nuts by biting or by using percussors

Social cues on stone tools outweigh raw material properties in wild primates

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